age group
Pictou County Mariners
The Next Stage of Competitive Swimming
Age Group is the next stage of the Mariners competitive pathway for swimmers who have completed the Nova Tech program and are ready for a greater level of training and competition.
Swimmers continue to refine their technique across all four competitive strokes while developing endurance, race skills, training habits and strength.
The increased training schedule provides swimmers with more time in the water to develop their fitness and technique and prepare for higher levels of competition.
Age Group Pool Training
Pictou Fisheries Pool
Strength & Conditioning
Thursday: 5:00–6:00 pm or 6:00–7:00 pm
Location: Hybrid Fitness Collective
Age Group swimmers also participate in weekly strength and conditioning training at Hybrid Fitness Collective to support their development outside the pool.
Age Group Training
As swimmers move into Age Group, the focus expands beyond learning the fundamentals of competitive swimming.
- Continuing to refine all four competitive strokes
- Starts, turns and race skills
- Building endurance and swimming fitness
- Developing effective training habits
- Understanding pacing and race strategy
- Strength and conditioning outside the pool
- Consistent effort and coachability
- Preparing for provincial and higher-level competition
Age Group Competition & Progression
Within the Age Group program, swimmers compete at the level appropriate for their age and the times they achieve.
As swimmers improve their times and achieve the required standards, they automatically move into the appropriate competitive classification, including AA and AAA.
Swimmers may also work towards qualifying standards for higher-level competitions such as the East Coast Championships.
Developing Competitive Swimmers
The Age Group program gives swimmers the opportunity to continue building strong technique while developing the fitness, training habits and race skills needed to progress through competitive swimming.